Wednesday, January 7, 2009 Printer Friendly Version
Obasanjo's ex-aides, others evicted from Presidential Villa

By Ihuoma Chiedozie, Abuja

Some prominent Nigerians residing in houses within the Presidential Villa in Abuja were on Monday night evicted by officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority.



Properties of people evicted from the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Tuesday.


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Although the names of the affected persons were not disclosed as at Tuesday, it was gathered that a Special Adviser to erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Security, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, and his Special Assistant on Traditional Institutions (South), Mr. Segun Awolowo, were among them.

Also affected by the evacuation were a former Nigerian ambassador to Morocco, Mr. M. S. Abdulwahab, two ex-envoys in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry.

No official explanation was given for their eviction, but our correspondent gathered that the FCDA served them quit notice in October 2008, but which was allegedly ignored.

It was also gathered that the FCDA officials informed the victims that the orders authorising the exercise came "from above."

Sources claimed that the notice was issued following security reports on the proximity of their houses to the residential quarters and offices in the Presidential Villa.

They told our correspondent that the residences and offices in the Presidential Villa could be observed from the top floors of the affected houses.

It was gathered that the evictees had paid for the properties before President Umaru Yar'Adua revoked the sale of houses to serving and former government officials in 2007.

Sources in the neighborhood where the evacuated properties were located disclosed that Awolowo, who later became the Secretary of Transportation, Federal Capital Territory Administration, was not in Abuja when the FCDA evacuation team arrived.

They, however, disclosed that Gusau was using the property as an office as at the time it was evacuated.

Abdulwahab, who spoke on the incident said on Tuesday that he was holding a prayer session for his daughter's wedding when the evacuation team arrived.

He explained that he had to plead with the officials to allow him and his guests complete the prayer, a request which, according to him, was granted.

A source later quoted him as having said that "we have been here since the Obasanjo's regime and, nobody asked us to leave."

The evacuated properties were still outside the compound as at 4pm on Tuesday when our correspondent visited the scene.

Many other Nigerians who bought houses within the Villa packed out shortly after being served with the eviction notice.

Among them is Obasanjo's former aide on Domestic Matters, Chief Andy Uba.

The sale of Federal Government houses in Abuja, including those around the Villa, had been mired in controversy, leading to the inauguration of a probe panel by the Senate.

Meanwhile, an FCDA official has said that some of the evictees, who claimed to have paid for the properties, did not do so.

The official, who pleaded anonymity, also revealed that cheques were handed over to those who paid when the eviction notice was issued in October last year.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jan/7/423.html

FG ejects Gusau, Awolowo from Aso Rock
•Three ambassadors also affected
From Juliana Taiwo in Abuja, 01.07.2009

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Former National Security Adviser, Alhaji Moha-mmed Aliyu Gusau, Transport Secretary in the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Mr. Segun Awolowo, and a former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Morocco, M. Abdul-Wahab, have been ejected from their houses within the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.



Also ejected is a serving Under-Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Eineje Onobu, and former Ambassador Nkem Nwadibia Anyanwu.

Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Domestic Affairs, Mr. Andy Uba, whose house is also located in the villa, was said to have vacated the place on his own after receiving the quit notice last year.

Some family members of the evictees seen guarding their loads after the ejection told journalists who visited the scene that they had been given quit notice since October 2008 but did not pack out as the money they paid for the houses had not been refunded.

Ambassador Abdul-Wahab told journalists that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Task Force stormed his house late Monday evening while the wedding Fatia of his daughter was going on to eject him but he pleaded with them to hold on until after the end of the wedding.

He said the men started throwing out his personal belongings while they were taking pictures with his guests outside.

According to him, he had paid for the house which was allocated to him by the former FCT administration.

He stated that the notice given to them had implied that the houses were too close to the Presidential Villa.

Meanwhile, a senior aide to the FCT Minister, Senator Adamu Aliero, told newsmen that those affected by the revocation order by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua were refunded their money.

The minister’s aide noted that while some came forward to pick up their cheques, some stayed away until their cheques lapsed.

He also revealed that the FCT administration had also directed the Aso Savings and Loans Limited, FCT mortgage bank, to stop further deductions in respect of the affected houses.

“These people have been offered their cheques since last year but they refused to pick them up. And again, not all of them who claimed to have paid have done so. FCDA has done all within its power to ensure that those that paid part payment for the houses get their refund but they have refused to pick them up,” the aide said.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jan/7/210.html

Freeloaders!

why would a govt official other than the president be in the villa in the first place